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Quest:Proving Grounds I - Raid on Quaris-Taen
General information * Added: October 2005 * Note: Unlike later Proving Grounds adventures, this one doesn't feature a completion award after each stage. * Estimated completion time, with MR/SP 80/90: 2 hours minimum. Tips * Many skill and stat checks which were in these challenges when they were introduced have been replaced by much harder normal random number checks. Take care if you're a returning player with a new character * Make sure to have either Fortification (30+), Telekinesis (30+), or Destruction (30+) for Part 2, in The Stables * The hardest optional enemy (9@75) is on Part 4 - In Pursuit of The Enemy * Part 9 - The Shadow Path will be much easier with Gating 40+ * Take care at "A Beast from Beyond", on Part 8 - The Enemy Unmasked. A good attack power will help you against this foe, which has a large SP pool and a very strong special attack. Do not quick-combat it unless you're very well prepared. * The will definitely help with uses of Archery, it will add an extra +0.15 to your rolls * Bring your and your for the final part (Part 11 - The Battle of Southleaf) __TOC__ Part 1 - Arrival Thick plumes of black smoke billow into the late afternoon sky above the forested hills of Tysa's western frontier... The Approach You find some people fleeing from their village. They explain that a band of masked raiders and a group of forest trolls are searching for a certain mage Jathor and his daughter, Unleri. Then you witness a couple of masked horsemen pursue a group of children. You can: * Use Illusion for 8 XP * Charge ahead and engage the two horsed swordsmen: . You get some gold and common loot items for this. Then you meet two sentries on the bridge on your way to the town. You can: * Attempt to sneak across the bridge and attack the two masked swordsmen: 1-100 random check + Thievery + Agility + Luck (95 is a win, and they are surprised, ) * Remain where you are and continue to watch the two masked swordsmen: Two more masked men join the fight: followed by * Use Illusion for 16xp or Archery for 8xp, which requires two rolls on a when used on the bridge sentries. Elementalism results in 16xp and combat with the two masked horsemen, as above. (all tested) ---- Grith and Par-Gak A masked man commands two hulking trolls, and he commands them to attack you: * No opportunity to use Restoration between combats. * * * * After you finish the trolls, a masked raider throw two bolts of black flame to you. You can: * Use Fortification (30+)/Gating (30+) FOR 16 xp (Both tested) * Attempt to dodge: ---- Surrounded Your magic-wielding enemy retreats, after calling his cohorts to battle you: * . You get some "common" s, a "sturdy" and 50+ gold. ---- Part 2 - The Rescues The desperate cries of the embattled and terrified townsfolk is your guide as you struggle through the smoke and flame that consumes much of the frontier town... The Stables You're faced with a flaming arrow screaming through the air aimed at you! You can: * Use Fortification (1+) for 8 XP * Attempt to dodge the flaming arrow: . Then you face three trolls who were hoarding men and women into the burning stables. You slay one automatically, before engaging: * * In the burning stables, a massive broken crossbeam collapses over you!. You can: * Use Fortification (30+)/ Telekinesis (30+)/ Destruction (30+) for 16 XP (All tested) * Attempt to leap to safety: . Be careful!! Powers rarely, if ever, fizzle any more, so don't take a risk and make sure to have one of the powers above on the required level. Finally you'll face and will receive some common loot and gold. ---- A Judgement of Death You find a hulking forest troll about to decapitate a man. You can: * Rush forward and attack the * Use Archery/Illusion/Telekinesis/Fortification/Elementalism for 16 XP (All tested). Archery requires a After this the man you saved fills you in on most of the story of the rider's attack, and directs you to the old mill, where Unleri is resisting. Note: Since this man fills you in on an important part of the background story, it's very probable that failing to prevent his death counts as a defeat at this stage of the adventure (just speculation, confirmation needed). ---- Part 3 - A Turn of Events Amidst the chaos and confusion that runs rampant in the burning town some questions are answered and an ally is revealed... The Old Mill You can: * Use Divination to help decide: You get 4 XP and you sense that danger lurks in the forest behind the old mill. * Approach the front entrance of the mill: Three horsemen attack you. You can: ** Use Illusion/Elementalism: You get 8 XP (Elementalism) or 16 XP (Illusion), dispatch one horseman then fight . ** Hold your ground and face their attack: . You get a decent amount of common loot and 40-60 gold. * Move around to the back of the mill: 8 XP to Archery when used against masked raiders approaching the back of the mill, leaving . If you fail, you will fight . After this you enter the mill and meet the resistance: a dozen armed men and a young woman holding a tall wooden staff (Unleri). She reveals his father, Jathor, is a sage in the knowledge of and knows the Quorid's Cipher used to unseal them almost by heart. Since the only known copy of the cipher is under the guard of the , this makes Jathor an unbelievably powerful and desirable weapon. Then an attack begins on both doors of the mill. Unleri goes to the front. You can: * Use Divination to help decide: No XP, and you learn there is a group of forest trolls in the front door and a band of masked swordsmen on the rear one. * Go to the front: You face , followed by and * Go to the rear: You face , followed by and After the battle you find that Jathor has been taken! After a final battle with , Unleri and you move through the forest, in pursuit of your common enemy... ---- Part 4 - In Pursuit of The Enemy The race to save Jathor will lead you to the doorstep of the enemy... A Path of Peril You find two horsemen watching the road. You can: * Use Divination (0 xp) to help decide. The hint is "to set foot upon it road for any extended period of time would be to invite unnecessary danger" * Deal with them. You can ** Use Archery: Both shots require a *** ( ) and lots of decent loot from looting the horsemen after defeating . ** Attempt to sneak up on them and attack: . ** Decide against attacking them: Section 4478. Probably the same as ignoring them first thing. * Ignore them: Section 4479. You just skip the fight. Then you'll have to decide on a course of action (road fork): The swamp is harder (9@75), but quicker and with better rewards. ;If you go through Goblin Gate . Then you face * * After this you're pursued by goblin arrows. You can: * Use Fortification/Gating/Illusion for 16 XP and you flee (Fortification tested) * Use nothing: Then you'll face several goblins with wolves: * * A sudden allows you to try to dodge an axe blow, before facing * * And finally a goblin shaman appears * You get a and then face him: * . You get , which identifies as . ;If you go through swamp * Roll 1-100 for an encounter. It seems any roll (16-89 observed) results in facing a . Unleri does assist through fairly frequent ~12 damage special attacks. * 253-300 gold, ( ). * As you leave the swamp, you fight . ; After the fork You arrive to the masked horsemen camp. They are packing, headed to Dra-Kih-Tor, an ancient temple. ---- Part 5 - Ambushed! No warning preceeded the sudden and savage attack that left you to face a series of brutal foes...alone... A Sudden Engagement When you're following the raiders, Unlery is hit by a forest troll. You can: * Use Archery: . Then you battle against * Prepare to defend yourself against After the battle, four masked horsemen approach you... ---- Four Against One Two of the masked men shoot crossbows at you. You can: * Use Fortification/Telekinesis (both tested) for 8 XP. * Attempt to dodge: After this, * You fight * One of the riders hurls an axe at you. * - Seems identical to first pair. ---- A Second Encounter The troll master you encountered in Quaris-Taen faces you. You can: * Use Archery/Telekinesis/Gating/Illusion for 8 XP (all tested, Archery requires you to pass a ) which allows you to surprise your enemy: * Attack the You get a (superior) and ~20 gold. ---- Dark Fire The powerful sorcerer you faced back in Quaris-Taen is here again. You must pass a to reach him before he unleashes his magic. Then you fight . When he's hurt enough (<40 SP) he flees, and you are forced to cut through the forest to avoid further ambushes. ---- Part 6 - To the Temple Under the cover of the trees you follow Unleri's lead as she treks toward the ancient temple of Dra-Kih-Tor. You only hope that you will arrive in time... Tiu the Terrible You find three forest trolls attacking an unarmed man. You must pass a before facing After this you encounter and The man you've rescued introduces himself as "Tiu the Terrible". Tiu informs you of the temple's situation, as he witnessed the masked men bringing Jathor into it, and that the temple has two entrances. He offers to become a distraction for the guards to allow you to enter, as a payment for his rescue. ---- Part 7 - Into the Temple The twisting passages of the ancient Aldvari temple are no place for the meek, yet in you must go, in pursuit of an enemy that now holds the key to their wicked plans... ---- Dra-Kih-Tor Thanks to Tiu's distraction, you can enter the temple from the front entrance or the rear entrance. The path is much shorter if you go through the front entrance. * Green - Front Entrance. After you enter, you encounter . * Blue - Back Entrance. After you enter, a . After the trap you fight a . * Red - Stone Door * 3 - 2 battles with - You get 3 s and a little bit of gold. * 4 - Trap . After the trap you fight - You get 3 and a little bit of gold. * 5 - It's marked in the map but nothing happens * 6 - * 7 - Lone - You get a and a little bit of gold. * 8 - - You get a (sturdy) and his (well-crafted), along with ~30 gold. * 9 - Large circular chamber. The masked sorcerer is there, along with a heavy escort, an open Shadow Path and Jathor, still alive. This point is the end of this stage. ---- Part 8 - The Enemy Unmasked The true face of the enemy is revealed as you make a last, desperate stand in the chamber of the Shadow Path... ---- The Unmasking As a fearsome being enters through the Shadow Path, with the head and torso of a snake, and arms and legs of a human, the masked raiders reveal at last their true form: ! You are discovered, and face the minions of the new robed tzaril: 2 battles against ---- The Second Wave Now the six masked raiders turned Tzaril attack you, one at a time. A total of 4 battles against . After you finish them, the robed tzaril makes their swords attack you by themselves. You can: * Use Fortification(30)/Telekinesis(40) for 16 XP * Attempt to dodge the blades: ---- A Beast from Beyond Something large emerges from the Shadow Path, a massive, grey-scaled serpent. You can: * Use Archery: for 8 XP - Success reduces the upcoming serpent's health to ~170 SP, else it stays the same. * Prepare for combat: Unleri attacks the serpent, giving you an opportunity to attack. You face ---- A Final Standoff You finally face the leader of the raiders, the mage tzaril who opened this Shadow Path: Unexpectedly, Tiu the Terrible appears to help. He leaves you to attend to the Shadow Gate while he takes care of Jathor. You're faced with two more battles against . Unleri then magically pushes the last robed tzaril into the Shadow Path. Now the only thing left to do is close it! ---- Part 9 - The Shadow Path The race to close the Nevernal portal is on... ---- The Shadow Path Unleri will try to close the Shadow Path. You can: * Use Gating (40+) to help her (recommended): 16 XP and you close the portal. * Stand guard next to Unleri: . After each roll, you may fight the following, seemingly independent of your roll results: ** ** ** It seems you must have at least 3 battles, and possibly several more (6-9) until you've rolled at least 90 twice??. This is still unclear. Way better to use Gating. From all your defeated enemies of the chamber, you receive several good quality items (5 s, a pair of well-crafted , a well-crafted ) and ~120 gold. You meet with Jathor and Tiu outside the temple, and discover that the remaining masked men are planning a raid on the village of Southleaf. Tiu promises to take care of Jathor and head back to Quaris-Taen, or what remains of it, while Unleri and you rush to the aid of Southleaf. ---- Part 10 - The Outskirts of Southleaf Your journey to Southleaf was swift, but as you approach the outskirts of the remote village you encounter the first sign that the enemy is ahead of you... ---- A Wayard, Savage Pair You meet a pair of and remove them from the fight, before joining the surprisingly strong defenses of Southleaf. ---- Part 11 - The Battle of Southleaf A brutal battle rages on the outskirts of Southleaf! Forest trolls, Tzaril, and a legion of cave goblins assail the surprisingly sizeable force of defenders that fight to keep the enemy out of the village... The first five parts can be done in any order, once finished the last one will appear. You can't flee from any enemy, so they haven't been marked individually. One Down, Four to Go 4 melee fights against * * * * ---- The Tzaril Advance 4 melee fights against * * * * ---- Cave Goblin War Band 6 consecutive melees against * * * * * * is very handy here. ---- A Terror Among Trolls A single battle against ---- Blades of Fire A single battle against ---- The Enemy's Last Gasp This scenario will not appear until you have completed the 5 previous ones. You meet Sensokar, the mage on the blue tunic that was among the Southleaf defenders, and together with Unleri, prepare to face the last menace: a great tzaril warrior, Scarback the Slayer. He summons three undead tzaril warriors, one for each one of you, and you must face After defeating them, the two guards of Scarback face you. You must face while Unleri and Sensokar take care of the other one. When you dispatch his guards, Scarback summons the rest of his army and swiftly massacres them, just for show. As he's going toward you, he's interrupted by Tiu the Terrible, who manages to wound him from the back. Scarback slays the bold Tiu, too. Unleri, Sensokar and you face him, ready to finish the battle. After the fight, you're much elated to discover Tiu alive! You bid farewell to Sensokar, who's headed to Talinus, while Tiu, Unleri and her father will start the reconstruction of Quaris-Taen. You've finished Proving Grounds I! ---- Completion award * 3,072 general xp * 128 XP applied to All Skills and Powers. * Your AT award depending on your (see on main Proving Grounds page) Category:Sagas